Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Delaware · Zone 7
Native Plants for Birds in Delaware
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. Every species here is genuinely native to Delaware and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Delaware's mild, humid climate across Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Black-Eyed Susan and Arrowwood Viburnum. Feeders are a snack; native plants are the real grocery store. Berries and seed heads carry birds through fall and winter, while the caterpillars these natives host are what nearly all songbirds feed their young in spring. Leave the seed heads standing, hold off on fall cleanup, and let a layer of leaves and shrubs give birds the cover they need.
The plants
29 native species for Delaware
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 6–10 ft.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A winter seed source songbirds return to, spreading 5–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A winter seed source birds return to, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A winter seed source songbirds return to, good through zone 10.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; bright gold flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; white bracts flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A winter seed source birds return to, for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; 6–12 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–7.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; violet-blue flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
5 more also qualify: Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Delaware
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.